The Names or Words of Wing Chun
There is much confusion as to what is “Wing Chun”, even in just the name of the system: VT, WC, WT, WJ, and many others but the Chinese characters remain the same. Due to different dialects in China and how the characters were pronounced, the spelling in English will be different. The original dialect of Wing Chun is Fukinese, due to the fact that it was created in Fujian province, home of the Southern Shaolin Temple. Therefore, the pronunciation is akin to “Eng Chun”. As the system spread to other provinces and gained popularity in Southern China to ultimately settle in Canton (Gwong Dong) Province, the pronunciation shifted to “Ving Tsun”. VT is also used in Hong Kong.
Due to the standardization of the national language in China, Wing Chun in Mandarin is “Yong Chun”. These are all examples of how the spellings are different in China but, again, the characters – the ideograms – remain the same. As the system entered the modern day and propagated into the West, the common spelling became Wing Chun due to the ease of pronunciation and romanization for Western eyes and minds. Continuing to add to the name confusion, as the system continued to become more international, some instructors decided to trademark the name of their approach to training the system, so they changed the spelling as a form of marketing and brand identity, such as Wing Tsun or Wing Tjun. Beware of those organizations using the name as a way to brand them self as something special! Remember that the Chinese Characters are the same.
As a final form of confusion as to the name of the system, historically there is some linkage between Eternal Spring and Praising Spring. There was a village next to the Southern Shaolin Temple called Weng Chun, or Everlasting Spring. There are several martial art families that were developed in the village of Weng Chun including variations of Hung Ga such as Chi Sim Weng Chun and Weng Chun White Crane. In the past, martial arts teachers were not always able to validate the history of the systems they taught, plus the Secret Societies intentionally included misinformation to outsiders as a way to protect themselves from the government, so some Wing Chun (Praise Spring) families ended up using the Weng Chun (Eternal Spring) nomenclature, even when the physical skills being developed were strategically unrelated.
There is also a phrase in the myths and legends of Wing Chun that has often been misunderstood. The phrase “Yim Wing Chun” directly translates to mean, “Discrete Praising Spring.” This is not a person but is actually a secret code. The meaning behind it symbolized the struggle between the Ming and Qing Dynasties in the 1600s, when the Han loyalists reminded each other to maintain strong opposition against the Qing invaders. The actual code is “to keep secret and discrete, but keep talking about the return of the Ming Dynasty.”
There is much to be said about what is or is not the Wing Chun System, but getting the name clear is the first step. Black Belts and Beyond in our martial art family should be more educated as to the origins, development, confusions, and misinformation that exists within the Wing Chun community.
But please be educated do not keep passing this fairy tales as the real history of this great system.
by Benny Meng on Thursday, May 31, 2012
Yes, it’s only a legend based on oral traditions. But it served its purpose during the time of struggles.
First of all there is no trace of any records on the nun, the father, the husband or YWC the girl.
Second, there is no nun in the Shaolin Temples. That was never a part of Shaolin tradition. This is true in the North and South Temple.
Third, the story is not logical. Why would the nun want to come out of hiding for some girl’s romantic problems. It will get both of them kill. During this time the Ching dynasty were very harsh with death penalties. The Ching authorities will kill nine generations out if you are caught as a rebel.
Fourth, YWC is a secret code. Yim means to be discreet or to be secretive. Wing means to talk or praise. Chun is the word Spring which symbolize rebirth.Together the word means to be secretive and keep talking and praising about the rebirth of the Ming Dynasty. The nun symbolize the roots of Wing Chun which is Shaolin.
Fifth, this whole story about the nun teaching a girl was actually borrowed or stolen oral tradition from the system of White Crane.
Six, if this story were true that means the nun has to be at least 200 years old. The Temple was destroyed in the mid to late 1600s. Based on the story of the nun teaching to YWC and then she passed on to her husband, and finally the husband passed it on to the Red Boat Opera people, this happen in the middle of the 1800s. So there is a 200 years gap. Someone in this fairy tale has a secret to long life and lived two hundred years.
Seven. For hundreds of thousands of years the fighting are mostly done by the men, not the ladies. So if there is something more efficient for fighting, we men are the one that needs it, not only the ladies.
Also, number eight. Effective human combat system is base on human nature and physiology, not base on some girl watching two animals fighting.
There are many other proof I can discuss, will save it for the next time. The important thing here is that every oral tradition or fairy tales served its purpose. But please be educated do not keep passing this fairy tales as the real history of this great system.
There are many other proof I can discuss, will save it for the next time. The important thing here is that every oral tradition or fairy tales served its purpose. But please be educated do not keep passing this fairy tales as the real history of this great system.
By: Grand Master Benny Meng